Certain electrochemical procedures for preparing certain alkaline earth metal containing materials are known. For example, Smith et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,355,368 (1967) discloses electrodeposition of certain metals, preferably comprising aluminum, from certain nonaqueous plating baths. The plating bath is disclosed to be a certain aluminum halohydride and low percentage solvent ether composition. It may also contain a particular organic complex of an aluminum halide in order to improve thermal stability of the electroplating bath. Other metals that may be electrodeposited include beryllium and magnesium, with or without aluminum.
Walsh, IV et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,273 (1983), discloses a certain process for preparing high surface area chemical pump absorbants for chemical lasers comprising electrodeposition of an alkali or alkaline earth metal, preferably calcium, onto a suitable conductive matrix from a certain nonaqueous electrolyte. The solvent of the electrolyte is also polar. Utile solvents therein include pyridine, N,N-dimethylformamide, formamide, acetamide, propylene carbonate and their mixtures and the like. The polar solvent dissolves alkali or alkaline earth metal salts, for example, calcium chloride, calcium chlorate, calcium nitrate and their mixures and the like.
Also, Findl et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,780 (1970), discloses a certain method for magnesium electrodeposition. The method employs a certain initial amount of alkyl magnesium halide in tetrahydrofuran.
And, Brenner & Sligh, Trans. Inst. Metal Finishing, 49, 71-78 (1971) discloses certain electrodeposition of magnesium and beryllium from organic baths. It purports that the cathodic magnesium deposit from Grignard reagents, and also with complexed boranes, are each at least 99 percent pure, and that the beryllium deposits are 85 to 90 percent pure.
However, Conner; Reid, Jr. & Wood, J. Electrochem Soc., 104(1), 38-41 (1957) earlier disclosed that diethyl ether is allegedly superior to tetrahydrofuran in appropriate organic plating baths and that the ether bath containing aluminum bromide, magnesium bromide and lithium aluminum hydride gives a magnesium to aluminum ratio of approximately 0.8:1 to yield a good alloy of 7 percent magnesium and 93 percent aluminum. With a ratio of magnesium to aluminum therein which is higher (for example, from 1.05:1 to 5.1:1), the deposit is reported to be from fair to very poor, respectively.
Fraioli, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,097 (1975) discloses a certain secondary power cell containing an alkali or alkaline earth metal. The cell is nonaqueous. But, said metals are typically present in a surface amalgamated form.
The art yet lacks a nonaqueous electrolyte electrochemical process which can prepare a very high purity alkaline earth metal. Such a process is desirable in the art because of the need for such metals and of the efficiency and general advance such a process may provide.